Bingo!
by honestgrins
Summary: Nothing suits these two quite like Halloween. Witches and demons and candy, oh my! (Klaroween Bingo)
1. Fly With Me

**Caroline hates flying, but it's a bit more fun with Klaus. (For Klaroween Bingo: "Why don't you just take your broomstick and shove it?")**

* * *

Hurtling toward the ground, it was only Caroline's intense desire to avoid a broken nose that allowed her to focus enough to jump from the broom before it splintered across the frozen ground. She rolled away from the mess, wincing at the remains. "Crap," she muttered, unsure if she could even repair a magical object without drawing Madam Hooch's attention. But if the whole crashing thing didn't bring the teacher over with concern, then she supposed nothing would. "I hate flying."

"I know, sweetheart." She turned to find Klaus watching her with something like amusement in his eyes. Arms crossed, she found she didn't like it. "Are you alright?"

She stretched her neck and bounced on her toes. "No injuries that I can tell, but I would really like for class to be over."

Klaus nodded, annoyingly at home on his own broom as he hovered just a few feet in the air. She scowled in jealousy at how easy it came to him; that's what she got for dating the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. "Why are you even here? I thought official team members would get a pass for their flying certificates." It was a rite of passage that had helped her transition from her muggle expectations, that driver's ed applied to brooms, too.

"Just on the required training period," Klaus answered with a shrug. "And I thought you might welcome some more...personalized assistance."

Raising an intrigued eyebrow, Caroline could feel her irritation ebb away. "Oh?"

"Hop on." Nodding behind him, Klaus shifted to make room for her. "Come on," he said when she hesitated. "You'll be fine, I promise."

She grumbled, straddling his broomstick and winding her arms around his waist. "Don't let me fall. I won't forgive you."

Reaching back, Klaus pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Of course not." He urged them to float higher, and Caroline couldn't help but to squeeze him a bit harder, which made him laugh. She jabbed a finger into his stomach in retaliation, temporarily distracted from the fact they were several feet off the ground.

As she pressed her cheek to his back, Caroline sucked in deep breaths. The fresh air and Klaus's cologne was a comforting mix. "Forget my flying certificate," she said, "you can just fly me anywhere I need to go."

"Happy to," Klaus agreed easily, one hand moving to cover hers, "but I figured you too stubborn to give up so soon."

"Baiting," she accused in a singsong voice.

Klaus shrugged, smiling when she tightened her hold at the jolt of motion. "Perhaps." He coasted the broom to an easy hover and pulled one of her hands to the handle. "As much as I adore your brain, you think too much rather than guiding the broom to do what its meant to do."

She bit his shoulder playfully. "Easy for you to say," she pointed out. "I grew up with a scooter and a Barbie Jeep. Flying isn't exactly like riding a bike."

Chuckling, Klaus gripped her knee with an affectionate squeeze. "Well, not with that attitude."

"Hey-"

"Get a room, Forbes!" They both turned aggrieved glares to Damon Salvatore, shouting over from his own broom. "Some of us have too much taste to want to see Mikaelson-"

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Madam Hooch called, casting an unimpressed glance up to their little gathering. "And Miss Forbes, I expect you to repair and ride your own broom if you intend to complete this course."

Sighing, Klaus eased them down toward her earlier crash site, Damon clapping in his smarmy way as they made their descent.

Caroline could have killed him dead with the look on her face. "Why don't you just take your broomstick and shove it, Damon?"

"How about-"

Klaus might have set a threatening hand on his wand, but it was Caroline's whipping out of her pocket that had Damon paling even pastier than usual. "What was that?" she asked, voice cold as ice. With a dismissive snort, Damon flew to the other end of the courtyard. "I'll make him regret it later," she promised.

"Looking forward to it, love," Klaus replied, pulling her close for a quick kiss. "Let's get your broom back to fighting shape, though, shall we?"

Pouting, Caroline summoned all the pieces she could. _Reparo_ only worked on a few at a time, unfortunately, and it took five whole minutes to have a mostly serviceable ride. "I don't know," she winced, looking at the splintery mess. "I think we should really work on the 'you fly me places' plan instead."

With a soft kiss to her temple, Klaus nodded. "I'll take you, wherever you want to go," he promised. "But I'm headed to the pitch tonight for practice. If you care to join me, we can work through some flying drills for you, too."

"Just us? Because I'm not about to embarrass myself in front of even more people," she warned, still angry she was one of only three seventh years yet to receive their certification.

Klaus shrugged uneasily. "Henrik wanted to practice…"

Smiling at the reminder of what a softie her boyfriend was when it came to his baby brother, Caroline turned her face up to kiss him. "Henrik will be nicer to me than even you are, so I'm in. Thanks, Klaus."

He pulled her close for a deeper kiss, teeth nipping at her bottom lip until she moaned. "I'm always nice to you."

"Miss Forbes! Mr. Mikaelson!"

They reluctantly broke apart as Madam Hooch glared, but even the haphazard broom she flew wasn't going to bring Caroline down again. Well, she hoped.


	2. Common Language

**When Caroline is tortured by her father, she takes unlikely comfort in a hidden cave - the cave where Klaus finally manages to bring Henrik's ghost back to the living. (For Klaroween Bingo: 10th Century Ghost in the 21st Century)**

* * *

Her mom lasted a whole six hours before she was called back to work, leaving a tear-streaked Caroline home alone. A few blood bags and a cold, cold shower had helped her to heal and clean herself from the dirty cell; it was the memories haunting her that prevented her from sleeping away the immediate brunt of the trauma she'd suffered at the hands of her father.

Even when she closed her eyes, sunlight burned around the edges of her vision and crackled along her skin. She clenched her hands every so often to make sure her ring sat where it belonged. And to think the Sheriff pointing a gun loaded with wooden bullets would be the worst thing a parent could do - how naive she had been. Caroline sniffled into her pillow, hating her broken heart for wishing she could be better for him.

Sitting up, she wiped her face with the edge of her palm. Her dad didn't want her? Her mom chose work over her? Fine, it wasn't anything she hadn't handled before. So she threw on an old hoodie over her pajamas and slipped into a pair of tennis shoes, heading out to a place she hadn't visited in a long while.

Caroline was ten when her parents told her they were getting divorced, that Bill was moving away to be with someone he loved - away from her. It happened over the summer when Bonnie was away at camp and Elena on vacation with her family. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt so alone, aside from the terrifying day she had to survive her transition without _knowing_ anything. Unable to stay at the house while her dad packed and unwilling to sit at the station with her mom, she went for a walk in the woods instead and disappeared for a whole day, not that anyone was around to notice.

Following that same path years later, she realized just how quiet the area was. Far from the town proper, even her enhanced vampire senses could barely pick up the midday noise of Mystic Falls. She squinted, looking for the patch of wildflowers that first drew her toward the cave. Bright reds and greens had caught her eye, but it was the small cave entrance that intrigued her. Though it required more wriggling to get through than it did for a ten-year-old, Caroline managed to shove her way into the darkness, grateful she carried a phone to serve as a flashlight.

God, she must have been a brave kid. To be fair, it was before she knew monsters were real and oddly focused on her little town.

As a monster herself, Caroline still braced herself for any threats that might come from the passageway within. Her fangs dropped, eyesight sharpening for anything that moved. Even being on edge felt better than wallowing in her misery. She was a predator, damn it; pretending not to be one for her dad so hadn't worked for her anyway.

Creeping forward, she found the hollowed out chamber she was looking for. The air was surprisingly warm compared to the rest of the cave, which was partly the reason little Caroline had liked the spot so much. Comfort was in short supply, so she took it wherever she could that sad, lonely day. Much like then, she settled herself on the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. Sighing, she pressed her forehead the soft flannel covering her legs. "Maybe I'll just stay here for a while," she muttered, voice pathetic as it echoed off the stone walls.

" _You can, you know._ "

Caroline startled at the sudden appearance of a young boy sitting next to her, speaking some language she didn't even recognize. "I-" As scared and confused as she felt, however, her fangs refused to drop. It was almost like her monster didn't register the kid as food. "Who are you?"

" _My name is Henrik. No one has ever seen me before. Why can you?"_

Pressing her hands to her face, Caroline shook her head as a helpless laugh escaped from her throat. "This isn't happening. People don't just pop up out of nowhere." She looked at him again, disappointed that he didn't vanish like a figment of her imagination. "Seriously, who are you?"

He looked at her oddly. " _Henrik_ ," he said, drawing out the word.

"Henrik." Eyes wide, Caroline was very close to losing it. "You're in a cave. Kids shouldn't be in caves."

Blinking, Henrik seemed concerned by her expression without understanding her words. As though to comfort her, he covered her hand with his. " _You are troubled. Are there wolves tonight? My brother promised to show me, but that was long ago._ "

Caroline swallowed another frantic burst of laughter. Before she could even begin to summon a plan to help the boy, though, leaves rustled from somewhere down the passageway. On instinct, she flashed to her feet with full vampire features and pushed Henrik behind her. "Who's there?"

"I could ask you the same thing, love." The British accent was a confusing surprise, as was the incredibly attractive face behind it when some guy strolled around the corner like he owned the place. His smirk cut cute dimples into his cheeks, but his face went suddenly slack as he caught sight of Henrik. " _Brother._ "

"Nik!" Henrik roughly pushed past Caroline to launch himself at the stranger, who swooped him up into his arms.

" _You're safe, Henrik_ ," he muttered in the same language, as best as she could guess. " _For ages, I've worked to bring you back. And now you're here. You're here!"_

 _"But how?"_

 _"Magic. It took a whole coven, but I raced here once I got the call. I should have known it'd be here."_

Overwhelmed by the weirdness of the situation and her emotions on tenterhooks already, Caroline had no hope of restraining a freakout. "Excuse me?! What the hell is going on?!"

The guy snarled at the interruption, only looking mildly apologetic when Henrik flinched away from his tight hold. " _I didn't mean to scare you_ ," he promised. Looking up at Caroline, he managed at least a polite nod. "Leave now, little vampire. This is a family matter."

"I'm not leaving him alone with you," Caroline snapped, wary of the double set of fangs that slid into place, his eyes turned burnt gold. At least it helped to calm her panic that he knew of her supernatural status. Still, she crossed her arms to keep her posture absolutely straight. "I was down here minding my own business when Henrik showed up, and you don't seem like a particularly nice guy if you're letting him wander around caves on his own."

Licking his lips, he carefully set Henrik down to step toward her. Despite his lean stature and scant inches he had on her, Caroline had to force down the intimidation she was surprised to note. "You're the Forbes girl." Alarm vibrated down her spine, especially when his smirk turned into a pleasant smile. "A pity you escaped my sacrifice if you feel so bold as to challenge me directly."

"Sacrif-" Caroline gasped as fear choked her throat. "Klaus."

His smile widened when she crushed herself back to the wall. "This cave is all that remains of my original home," he explained. "I don't take well to intruders."

Anger seared her blood, the sudden burst enough to puff her chest and pushing him out of her space. "Aren't you like a billion years old? Maybe it's time to sign the deed over to the historical society, this is a free country now."

Klaus stared at her, his eyes stormy even in a stone face. She was sure he'd lunge for her, just to finish the job her father couldn't - but Henrik tugged at the back of his shirt, tears streaming down his face. " _Nik, no!_ "

Frozen at the sound of his brother's tears, Klaus seemed to struggle with himself for a long moment. "Go," he murmured, an edge of warning in his tone. "Tell no one. I'll be gone before you can rally your little friends, and I still have Stefan in my possession. Surely, you don't wish him any undue harm."

"He's not yours to own!" Her eyes flew wide, taking even herself by surprise with the sudden exclamation. She needed to backtrack, but she couldn't do it. Elena was still struggling, Damon grew more erratic with every day his brother was gone. Worse, she hated the selfish part of her that wanted her friend back, the one who had any number of wise, comforting words to ease the pain of losing her dad's good faith. "Sometimes, we have to let people live their lives," Caroline finally said, the truth of it weighing down her heart.

A flash of something crossed Klaus's expression, an interest that set Caroline off-kilter. "More than a pretty face, aren't you, love?"

Biting her lip and counting to five, she forced herself to take a deep breath. "The name is Caroline," she answered with a too cheery smile, hoping to hide the worst of her nerves. "Henrik, you okay?" She gave a thumbs up, not sure if it'd actually help with the language barrier.

 _"Caroline wants to know if you're well_ ," Klaus translated as he watched her stubborn reaction.

Henrik frowned in confusion, trying to mimic her gesture. When he managed it, they both smiled. " _Caroline_ ," he said with a nod. " _I'm well. I found my brother._ "

Though she didn't understand his words, Caroline could tell he wasn't worried about the big, bad wolf at all. "Okay," she said with a nod of her own. Sparing only a quick glance for Klaus, then, she flashed away. She stopped at the edge of the woods, listening for any sign they had followed her - not quite relieved when they left her alone.

 _What the hell had just happened?_


	3. Bloody Queen

**Klaus isn't sure why Caroline can't just use real blood for her costume, but he's happy to help however he may. (For Klaroween Bingo: Blood)**

* * *

"What on earth are you doing?"

Caroline looked over her shoulder to find Klaus watching her from the kitchen doorway. "I'm testing fake blood recipes to use with my costume," she said as though it was obvious.

Frowning, Klaus moved to inspect the various paints and pantry items spread about the counter, confused how they fit in with the gown and tiara hanging in their closet. "I might admit to neglecting the nuances of your high school traditions, but I don't remember seeing blood on your prom queen."

She elbowed him, but smiled when he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Stalking my prom was a douche move. I don't want you thinking that this," she said, gesturing between them, "is because of your excellent flirting techniques back then. You're lucky I even glanced your way, buddy."

Klaus slipped his arms around her waist, lips moving to her neck. "Agreed, sweetheart."

"You also robbed me of the homecoming crown I had coming, so thanks for that." Pursing her lips in thought, she turned her head to face him. "And actually, I still don't think I've forgiven you for planning a better party than me."

His breath cast across her throat as he laughed. "It might have been a homecoming dance in your eyes, but it was the funeral celebration I had been hoping to host for centuries. Even better, the festivities were an excellent setting to finally kill Mikael."

"Yeah, yeah, daddy issues," she muttered, focused on stirring the sugary concoction before her. "Anyway, I'm not just any prom queen - which Bonnie totally deserved and I'm not bitter about _at all_ \- I'm going as Carrie. Hence the blood."

"Who?"

Freezing for a moment, Caroline then dropped her spatula and whirled in his arms. Genuine pity filled her expression. "Please don't tell me the biggest bad in the world-" she rolled her eyes as he preened at the compliment, "-has never cracked open a horror book. Or watched a movie. Or lived during the seventies."

Klaus shrugged, unconcerned. "I believe I was on an Eastern excursion for most of that decade," he explained. "War is a horror on its own, love, and I indulged it in at every chance."

"Ugh, of course you did," she groaned. Her head fell to his shoulder in defeat. "I'm trying to make myself hate you for that."

Once, that statement would have put Klaus on edge for fear of her leaving him; it was only the decades she'd spent at his side and the trust eventually build sturdily between them that allowed him to take it for lighthearted jab it was. "Whatever you say, sweetheart." Still, he stayed close behind her as she moved back to the selection of mixes. "What exactly are you testing for with these recipes?"

Caroline heaved a discontented sigh. "There are so many things to consider," she whined. "I want it to look real, like it's obvious the effect I was going for, but the most life-like versions use some form of sugar. That would be a sticky mess for me to wear all night."

Humming, Klaus nipped at her ear. "But delicious."

"Which I considered," she flirted back. "The sugar-free options might be easier to pour anyway and less likely to stain. They use dish soap and paint, though - not the most appetizing if we decide to get a little frisky."

"Despite the hardship it will surely be, I don't mind waiting to ravish you until we're safely in the shower," he promised in a low voice.

Caroline scoffed. "Maybe _you_ don't," she pointed out, brushing her ass against him. "But you clearly haven't seen what you look like in a tux, because I'm not sure I'll be able to resist." One day, she would get him into an actual costume rather than the occasional mask. _Prom date_ might not be the most creative idea, but it got Klaus to make at least a small effort for the party they were going to, and she kind of loved the idea of pinning him with a boutonnière.

"If you care to use real blood, I'd be happy to assist in the dirty deed." His mouth fell to her neck, tongue temptingly tracing the line of her artery.

"Wasteful," she accused, though she leaned into the touch. "I will need your help with the application, probably also best done in the shower. We get one shot at doing it right, so bring your A-game."

An eyebrow arched in interest. "Do you have a batch ready? We can test one right now." His hands wandered down to her hips, pulling her into him. "I certainly don't mind whiling away the afternoon with you in the shower."

Taking a moment to consider it, Caroline glanced back at him with faux suspicion. "Are you really going to let me test the soapy version, or do you just want to cover me in sugar so you can lick it off?"

Klaus teasingly grabbed the sugary one first before also taking the soap bucket. "Nothing says both can't be true," he teased, leading her upstairs to their shared suite.


	4. Treats

**Caroline takes Halloween treats seriously, even letting Kol and Rebekah help her when Klaus refuses to join in the fun. (For Klaroween Bingo: Candy Apples)**

* * *

Rebekah squinted at the heaping bowl of apples and the bowls littered across the counter. "There's a darling shop down the road that sells these," she said as she watched Caroline carefully wash each Granny Smith. "A world-class confectioner. I even have Nik's credit card, not that he'd deny _you_ anything. Why are you going to all this trouble?"

"Because," Caroline shrugged, "making candy apples is fun. It was my favorite part of the Halloween festival back home, and I like continuing the tradition." Drying the apples with a hand towel, she quickly whipped it against Kol's wandering fingers. "Stop eating the candy until we're done. I'm not putting my name on half-naked apples."

Snorting, Kol obligingly stepped away from the toppings bowls. "I'm fairly certain there's a joke in there, darling, but I'm far too much a gentleman to make it."

"He's just scared Nik will hear and throw around dagger threats again," Rebekah sighed, inspecting her nails. "Since you moved in, he's been in an irritatingly good mood. We're waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under us."

Caroline frowned, setting the last of the apples down. "I've lived here for, like, five years."

"I've had catnaps that lasted longer," Kol replied. "Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for how quickly you managed to train Nik not to be a total wanker-"

"Though he still is a wanker."

"-but we all know it can't last forever," Kol finished, ignoring Rebekah's interruption. "I mean to enjoy it while I can."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline moved to stir the caramel sauce. "Whatever, if you're here, you can help. Kol, why don't you stab the apples onto their skewers?"

Rebekah sat up, offended. "Why does he get to stab things?"

"Because I need _you_ to melt the chocolate." Caroline handed her a spatula, jerking her head toward the other double boiler she set up. When Rebekah looked confused, though, she smiled. "Twice as many flavor combinations."

"Let's make Nik clean up," Kol offered. He was having a bit too much fun with the sharpened sticks, and Caroline took a step back in case one accidentally made its way to her heart. _Accidentally_. It had been ages since either one of them had threatened her life with any sort of credibility, but it never hurt to beware the possibilities. "Where is he, anyway?"

With a shrug, Caroline reached for her first apple. "He's allergic to fun. _'Those are for children, Caroline_ ,'" she mocked in a horrible imitation of their accent. "Don't worry, I'll break him and post the evidence on Instagram. Hashtag sweet tooth, big bad."

Klaus didn't raise his voice above a normal volume, but they all heard him perfectly from across the compound anyway. "Good luck with that, sweetheart."

Caroline winked at Kol's mischievous smile. _I'll get him_ , she mouthed. Dipping the apple into the caramel, she slowly twirled it to coat the whole thing. "Pass the toffee, please." Kol slid her the bowl of candy, and she dunked the apple for complete coverage. "And the walnuts," she said, picking out a few of the larger ones and placing them around the outer edge. "Perfect."

"Ooh, I want one," Rebekah said, plucking another skewered apple out of Kol's hands. Looking at the toppings, she frowned in indecision.

"We have plenty, so go nuts on the decorations," Caroline allowed. As Kol and Rebekah bickered over the options, she couldn't help but think how young they sounded. More than a millennium under their belts, it was times like this she saw the kids they once were - how human they used to be. With her first apple mostly set, Caroline passed off her spoon to Kol. "Keep stirring," she directed. "I'll be back in a minute."

Flashing upstairs with the candy apple on a plate, she set it on Klaus's desk. He barely looked up from the reports scattered everywhere, and Caroline considered it personal growth that she didn't even flinch at the disorganization. Bending low over the back of his chair, she let her lips graze his ear. "You know you want it," she teased, a hand caressing his chest from behind.

"You know I don't," he flirted back, even if his denial sounded unfairly cute coming from those dimples. "Too sweet."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

His cheeks and ears flushed red, so Caroline couldn't resist pressing a kiss to the edge of his jaw. "Seriously, take a bite." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I made it just for you. Toffee and walnuts."

Klaus looked up, intrigued. "Fine," he said, picking off a walnut to pop in his mouth. "Mmm, that is good. Everyone forgets to toast them."

Scoffing, Caroline brought the apple to her mouth for a big bite. "I've seen you take chunks out of human beings, I think you can handle this," she said, hiding her chewing behind a hand.

With an indulgent smile, Klaus pulled her down for a lingering kiss. "Delicious," he murmured. But she placed the apple at his lips when he tried for another, and he stared at her for a long moment before obliging with a small bite. Chewing slowly, she could tell he didn't want to look pleased; too bad for him, she had the whole treat thing nailed down. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome," she said with a smug grin, leaning down to peck his cheek. "We're in the kitchen if you decide to join the party. There's more where that came from." Her expression turned dirty just before she left the room, loving how greedily he watched her go.

When she heard his chair creak as he stood to follow her - well, she loved that even more.


	5. Sleepless

**Sometimes, they can't sleep for the bad memories collected over the years. (ForKlaroween Bingo: Nightmare)**

* * *

Sleepless nights were nothing new to him, not after a thousand years of running from and inflicting various horrors. There were instances where he simply didn't have the time, for fear of being caught by Mikael. Others, he simply couldn't rest with a muse haunting him until he laid it bare on the canvas, imprisoning it in oils far from his racing mind. The occasional lover managed to prove themselves worthy, and he might find himself unwilling to waste hours on sleep until he could tire of them in more ways than one.

But then, there were the nightmares.

Mikael's brutality, mere children flinching before his anger. Phantom hallucinations of his family urging him to end it all while suffering the Hunter's Curse. Reliving his first transition, the terrifying moments while breaking every bone in his body, always waking up before he could reach the elated joy of finally indulging the wolf. Each of his siblings as they turned grey, his own hand holding the dagger as they struggled against desiccation. Elijah disappearing altogether, taking the Hollow's danger with him for good. Again and again, and again.

They had become few and far between since Caroline shared his bed, a fact which Klaus was doubly grateful for. However, he hadn't been prepared for how to handle _her_ nightmares. When he couldn't close his eyes despite the warmth of her at his back, Klaus wasn't sure what kept him awake - until her grip tightened around his stomach, nails digging into his side as she whimpered into his neck. Having woken her up during such an episode before, he quickly learned from her scared and irritable reaction that it wasn't an ideal solution. Upon a more rational discussion, he also learned that dream manipulation was very much out of bounds. Instead, he turned slowly in her arms, trying not disturb her while holding her close. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he waited for her to calm down.

As she relaxed against him, Klaus breathed a sigh of relief. His hand skimmed up and down her back in a subtle effort to rouse her. With a hum in her throat, Caroline cracked open one eye. "Yeah?"

"You were dreaming again," he answered softly. "It didn't sound pleasant."

Squeezing her eyes shut, she melted into his embrace. Her nose nuzzled into the curve of his shoulder, a tactic she often used as a distraction technique. "I don't want to talk about it."

Klaus sighed, disappointed. It had been five years since they found each other again, and they went through hard times as he grieved Elijah and struggled to parent Hope. Trust was a sore subject given the history between them, and Caroline intentionally keeping her nightmares from him didn't help. "Because you're too upset," which he could force himself to respect, "or because you don't want to tell me?" That usually meant it had to do with Stefan, yet another sore subject only time would allow them to address.

"Because you're comfy," she replied, her tone stubborn.

His smile was grim. "Caroline."

Groaning, she pressed a kiss to his collarbone. "Uh oh, that's your serious _we need to talk_ voice. And I thought I was your sweetheart?"

"You," he sighed as he tangled his fingers in her hair, "are utterly precious, my love. You are also avoiding the question."

Their bedroom was quiet, a small peace while she gathered her thoughts. "It was about the wedding," she finally said. Her hands tightened in his shirt when he tensed at the admission. "The fire, when I wanted to run in and save the girls and Bonnie." Tears welled in her eyes, so Klaus kept his touch soothing. "But I also _didn't_ want to. I'm a survivor, Klaus. Call it a legacy of my making, but it took five hundred years for time to catch up to Katherine Pierce. I want twice that. Three times, four."

Klaus kissed her forehead again. "You'll have it," he vowed. "As long as you let me, I won't lose you when I can't follow." That was another nightmare that plagued him, the awful chance that he might not be around to protect her from death.

"That's not the point." Her voice was small, miserable. "My mother once pointed a gun at me because I was the monster who took her daughter's place. I don't even have that excuse. The girls were _girls_ , perfectly healthy and lovely and in danger..." Caroline trailed off in horror. "And I let my very human husband hold me back from saving them because _I_ didn't want to die."

Pushing back the hair from her face, Klaus carefully looked her over. "You can't blame yourself forever," he said, smirking when she rolled her eyes. "I know I'm not the best example of said wisdom-"

"I should think not."

"-but I will never fault that survival instinct of yours. I'm a selfish man, after all, and I must admit that I would burn the world twice over if it meant saving your life or Hope's." She narrowed her eyes, and he knew it was the obvious omission stoking her ire. Yet another concession he'd made to join their lives together. "Or our families."

Caroline shrugged. "It's not exactly a rational decision I get to make," she pointed out. "Nightmares will come whether I learn to accept my faults or not."

He lowered his lips to hers for a soft kiss. "Perhaps I just want you to be able to find peace once you wake."

Smiling up at him, Caroline traced his mouth with light fingers. "That's what I have you for." She snuggled back into his side, and Klaus finally let his eyes drift closed for a deep, deep sleep.


	6. Whoops

**How the hell was she supposed to realize her Halloween decorations would summon an actual demon? (For Klaroween Bingo: Demon)**

* * *

To be fair, it started as an accident.

Caroline took her role as Delta Nu's social chair very seriously, and she felt it was her responsibility to produce the best haunted house for the sorority's annual Halloween party. When she put together the binder section for decorations, then, she did the research to ensure the symbols she had the pledges spraypaint all over the cardboard facades were accurately spooky. Pentagrams, devil marks, some demonic names in ancient languages, she had it all. It wasn't until she heard little April Young's scream from the driveway that it occurred to her: using an archaic summons might actually summon something.

When she ran outside the house, Caroline was confused at how April cowered from some guy standing on one of the facades - which, rude. "Hey!" She called out, rushing forward to put herself between the stranger and a whimpering April. With a wicked smirk, the guy turned his attention to her, his dimples only temporarily distracting. Crossing her arms, she forced herself to ignore how hot he was with the hair and the lips. "This is private property," she snapped, "and I don't like that you're scaring my sister."

"I was merely going about my day, love, when your friend so crudely painted my call," he explained in an accent that surprised Caroline, adding a worldly sense that didn't quite fit on the Whitmore University campus. "It's been a long while since someone dared to even try, so color me intrigued."

"He just...appeared." April was shaking behind her, likely rocked to her small town pastor's daughter core. "I didn't, I mean, what-"

Caroline wasn't convinced this guy was what he implied, but she didn't want April to faint. "Go inside," she told the girl, not unkindly. Which, of course, confused April even more because she was nothing if not intense when it came to mandatory maintenance hours for the house. "Make yourself a smoothie or something, I'll mark your participation as completed for today." She watched her duck into the house without daring to look back, and Caroline turned an annoyed glare on the stranger who looked all too pleased at having caused a disruption. "Thanks for that. Now I'll be a day behind on my decorating schedule."

He shrugged, seemingly delighted. "Call it a hazard of courting a chaos demon, sweetheart."

 _Chaos demon._

It had been a common enough theme throughout her research, but Caroline struggled to pull whatever information her brain had filed away and ascribe it to the man standing before her. Dressed in jeans and a soft Henley, only his criminally good looks and an almost cruel glee at her examination let her even begin to believe that it might be true. "You're not very tall for a demon."

Her eyes squeezed shut, sure that insulting him was a bad idea; she couldn't help but blurt it out, though! If she were designing a demon, an intimidating height would have just made sense.

Luckily, he laughed. "I'm a very old soul, so to speak," he said. "Humans used to be shorter."

"Right, yeah." Caroline nodded, doing her best not to freak out - like she wasn't casually talking about human existence with a chaos demon in her driveway. "So, thanks for coming, but maybe we just chalk this up to a case of 'wrong phone number' and go our separate ways?"

Smirking, he took a step toward her, alarmingly outside the painted circle in which he'd appeared. But Caroline refused to cower before him, despite most of her instincts screaming for her to run. "If only it were that easy," he said, bowing slightly as his hands folded behind his back. "Unfortunately, once I'm summoned, there's the simple matter of negotiating a deal to be executed."

Caroline's anger flared at the condescension she heard in his voice. "Excuse you, but you're not going near April again. Pro tip, when girls flee from the sight of your face? They're just not that into you."

"Fear not for your sister," he answered easily, "she did not summon me of her own volition. If I understand correctly, she was under someone else's direction. Yours, perhaps?"

Glancing down to the ground, Caroline grimaced at the photo packet she'd copied for all the pledges from her binder. "So what? I don't think I want any part of a deal with you." As a business major, she knew the first rule of never approaching the table without knowing all the facts - and she was very much out of her depth. "You haven't even told me your name or what you could possibly want from me."

His eyes seemed to sear right into her bones, his smile sharp. "A brave one. I like a challenge."

Caroline fought against preening at the compliment she wanted to hear. "So do I, but I like winning more," she replied, spine straightening. "And I have a feeling you don't lose."

"I don't," he answered simply, "but some negotiations have been known to benefit both parties, _Caroline_."

Mouth falling open, she didn't like the stab of fear in her gut. His expression fell, like he didn't enjoy her fear either. "I didn't tell you my name."

"You're smart to avoid questions." He plucked at a loose curl, her hair only half done for a mixer later that night. She only just stopped herself from batting his hand away. "I have exceptional observational skills, such as overhearing young April explain our little standoff here to more of your sisters as they watch from the window."

She blew out a breath in hopes of calming a wave of anxiety that suddenly left her off kilter - only to be expected when arguing with a freaking demon, right? "I'm not going to enter a negotiation if we're inherently on unequal ground. It makes me uncomfortable for you to call me by name when I know almost nothing about you."

Holding out a hand, he smiled at the suspicious way she looked it over for claws. "Oh, our negotiation has already begun, Caroline," he warned, though it sounded oddly enticing as the words fell from his lips. "And my name is Klaus." When he didn't drop his hand, she reluctantly slipped hers into it with the full intention of pulling back as quickly as she could. But he surprised her by choosing not to shake it like a normal person; no, he gracefully brought her fingers up to his mouth for a small kiss. Her tongue wet her lips at the coarse rub of stubble, and she would have sworn his eyes burned as he watched. "For what it's worth," he said in a low voice, "I think we're both going to enjoy this."

Damn it all, Caroline thought he might be right.


	7. Too Close

**Dinner in Paris doesn't go as planned, but Caroline should have known that calling Klaus would have bloody consequences. (For** Klaroween **Bingo: "No, don't come any closer!"**

* * *

"No, don't come any closer!"

Caroline froze at the genuine fear in Klaus's voice, though all she wanted was to go to him. He kneeled on the ground, pain contorting his face as bones started to snap. "What's happening?" she asked, but she had a bad feeling she already knew.

Misery and rage rolled off him in waves. "They're forcing my transition," Klaus answered tightly, veins protruding from his neck at the effort it took to hold back the urge to turn. "You need to run, sweetheart."

 _Or my wolf will catch you._

* * *

It was supposed to be a simple dinner date. Of course, Caroline should have known that nothing involving Klaus would be simple. Instead of going to her high school's twenty-year reunion, she decided to head to Paris on a whim. Calling Klaus to meet? Not exactly what she called a whim. Two decades since she left Mystic Falls and the hope of a completely human existence behind her, and she still couldn't shake the guilt that the big, bad hybrid gave her butterflies she didn't dare explain. Well, maybe butterflies weren't the best metaphor - vampire bats flapping around all threatening and willing to take a bite of her at any moment seemed to more accurately encompass what the idea of Klaus did to her nervous system.

And that was just the idea; when she actually saw him waiting on the Pont des Arts with a rose dangling from his fingertips, Caroline would have sworn all those bats developed rabies (mentally apologizing for the unfair stereotype) with how frantically her blood started to race. "I thought I said you weren't allowed to buy me a corsage," she called out, pleased at the slow smirk spreading across his face.

Klaus turned to face her, eyes raking over the blue silk dress she wore and the long line of leg it showed. The hand holding the white flower rose toward her. "And here I thought your call meant a truce of sorts."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline was already striding toward him and accepting the rose, thorns and all. Apparently, she wasn't the only one with metaphors on the mind. "You know what I love about Paris?" she asked with an appreciative glance for the fine cut of his suit.

"The fashion?" he teased, tugging at his sleeve as though he dressed for her approval. "The food, the art?"

She shook her head slowly, eyes never leaving his. "Your cheesy lines almost work here," she answered, tossing the rose over the bridge and smiling at the small splash as it landed in the water. "And it's the perfect place for a fresh start."

His chin tilted up, almost stubborn. "Forget everything that happened, just like that?"

"Forget, no. No, I won't forget the pain you're capable of inflicting, or the cruel plans you have stored away at a moment's notice." Caroline reached for the tie he wore, stroking the delicate embroidery. "But maybe there's a chance for us to...be friends."

 _Friendly_ was definitely not the best term for the ensuing dinner, what with her foot halfway up his pant leg under the table with his hand individually caressing her fingers on top. It was nice to flirt, to let him adore her openly without the verbal cut she had once used as a shield against his charms. In Paris, though, Caroline was allowed to be charmed. They talked for hours over the course of the meal, Klaus regaling her with stories of the dishes they were eating or asking about her own adventures since the night he'd promised to be her last love. And for a moment - just a moment - she could admit the promise wasn't just the bluff of a man saying goodbye. But before Klaus had a chance to prove it, the witches showed up.

The dessert wine was dosed with wolfsbane and vervain, which Klaus regrettably failed to notice until he was spitting out the first sip. Wine and blood sprayed across the white tablecloth, the sores left on his mouth slow to heal. He grabbed her hand to flash them from the restaurant, eyes wary for enemies. "I didn't smell anything," Caroline said as they ran. "We should have been able to smell it."

"Not if witches are invol-" He stopped them short at a line of people blocking their way, hands raised. Breathing hard, Klaus gripped her arm too tightly. "Run," he murmured.

"Klaus, no-"

He shoved Caroline a few feet away, showing that the witches weren't focused on her. And she nearly did run, until he crumpled to the bricked road with a pained shout. "Klaus!"

"No," he gasped, hand pressed to his chest, "don't come any closer!"

Caroline snapped out of the mournful memory of what their night almost was, and instead worried how best to handle the situation at hand. There were two pressing threats, Klaus growing fur and the witches making him do it. "What do I do?" she muttered to herself, fists clenched before she did something stupid that got half of Paris killed.

"Run!" Klaus yelled again.

So, she did. Caroline flashed between two of the witches and grabbed them by their throats. Her nails dug into flesh, releasing the scent of blood for her fangs to drop. They scraped at her lip as she smiled at the group. "This is seriously your plan? To let a wolf - no, a _hybrid_ \- loose in the middle of Paris while you're standing within thirty yards? Even if I didn't know you're stupid enough to go after Klaus freaking Mikaelson in the first place, I would definitely question your strategy here."

Some of the younger ones turned to the old man in the center, whose eyes were trained on the girl Caroline held in her left hand. " _D'accord_ ," he said, and she didn't like that it sounded like an order. Sure enough, the girl pulled a stake from her jacket. Closing her eyes for a moment, Caroline tossed the girl away and bit into the other one's neck before dropping her to the ground.

With bloody lips and half the coven's attention, Caroline picked up the stake and the girl who'd tried to wield it, holding it over her very human heart. "Stop whatever you're doing to Klaus, and she lives."

"Kill them," Klaus groaned, his voice fallen savagely hoarse.

"Shut up." Caroline focused instead on the old man, and pressed the stake in until she could smell the girl's blood stain it. "You're about to have a bigger problem on your hands than just me. _Stop_."

The man scowled, a violent rage blooming behind his eyes. " _Arretez_ ," he bit out.

As soon as the others dropped their spells, though, Klaus had sped to remove two hearts. Caroline held onto the girl and made her watch as he tore off the old man's head, blood dripping from his bedraggled suit. "You see," she whispered into the girl's ear. "This is what happens when you match poor instincts with worse planning. Find yourself a coven with better self-preservation habits, and be sure to tell them what you learned tonight." She finally let go, watching the girl run off into the night. Turning to Klaus, she couldn't help but run her tongue over her fangs. "Are you okay?"

He reached for her face, tracing a thumb over the veins darkening her eyes. "You didn't run."

Her shoulder lifted in a casual shrug. "I don't leave my frien-"

Klaus pulled her toward him before she could finish the word, pressing his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, she greedily sucked the blood lingering on his tongue. They were never really supposed to be just friends, anyway.


	8. Picked Clean

**Caroline takes her Halloween decorations seriously. Kol takes her direction a little too seriously. (For Klaroween Bingo: Skeleton)**

* * *

Klaus awoke slowly, disappointed to find Caroline's side of the bed empty. Frowning, he glanced around the bedroom for any sign of her. She wasn't one to linger when there were chores to be done, but it had become something of a challenge for him to see how long he could manage to keep her distracted while warm and rumpled from sleep.

Unfortunately for him, he could hear her whirlwind of activity throughout the compound. Rubbing his eyes, he reluctantly pulled on some clothes before heading down to the kitchen. "Sweetheart," he called out, narrowing his eyes at the various underlings he passed along the way. While Klaus enjoyed the easy way she had assumed authority since moving to New Orleans, he didn't like the level of comfort the riff-raff had within his home in the name of fulfilling her assignments.

"Kitchen!" With a resigned sigh at her 'focused voice,' Klaus quickly gave up any hopes of distracting her from the day's battle plan for a lazy morning. She was stationed at the kitchen island with a laptop, phone, and tabbed binder spread in front of her. Klaus moved behind her, pressing a kiss to her head as he looked over her work. "It's time to decorate for Halloween," she explained without waiting for him to ask. "And before you say that it's too early or cheesy, you should know that I already have Rebekah and Kol on my side. Even Elijah has given his blessing as long as I promise to keep things tasteful, which I think means it can't look cheap."

Shrugging, Klaus reached for the mug of warm blood set next to her computer and took a swig. "Far be it from me to spoil your fun," Klaus said. "I'm surprised including Kol and Bekah is your idea of fun."

Caroline let out an annoyed grunt. "I know, but it keeps them out of my hair for the planning stages and gives them constructive tasks to complete. While Rebekah's scouting for spooky ambiance options that Elijah will approve of, Kol's in charge of pumpkins, candles, and tablecloths. Almost impossible to screw up."

His mouth twisted in amusement at such an optimistic statement that involved his younger brother. "If you say so, love."

"I'm choosing to graciously ignore the 'I told you so' brewing in your tone," she warned. "It's my first Halloween here at the compound, and I want it to be perfect."

Klaus smiled and dropped another kiss to her hair. "You're perfect," he murmured, chuckling when she swatted a hand in his direction.

"Seriously," she laughed, raising her chin up to meet his eyes. "Holidays are kind of my thing, and if I'm going to live here-"

Interrupting her with an affectionate tug of her ponytail, Klaus winked. "You're not running away on me yet."

Caroline pulled him down by the shirt for a kiss. "Of course not," she promised. "I just need you to be prepared for the level of crazy I'm about to bring into the house. I'm talking orange and black _everything_ , spiderwebs, themed music playing."

"I think I can handle it," Klaus murmured against her lips, hands smoothing down her shoulders.

"You say that now," she sang, turning back to her plans. "Actually, how do you feel about painting some classic horror movie scenes for me? I want to switch out some of the art hanging for more relevant works."

Klaus bristled, ready to argue for the carefully curated pieces he was quite fond of. "If you must change the artwork, I'd prefer you pull from our collection rather than _film_ -"

Her face fell into an offended ire, which might have ignited a fight had Kol not burst in through the front door. "Caroline, darling, you wanted a skeleton for the front door, right?" he shouted from the foyer.

"We can hear you fine," Klaus snapped, rolling his eyes when Kol loudly made his way to the kitchen with what looked like a well-worn collection of bones. Rather than strung up like a normal decoration, though, the skeleton was piled in a clear plastic bag. "Kol-"

Caroline suddenly stood, pressing herself into Klaus's side. "Why does that bag have 'EVIDENCE' stamped on it?"

Shrugging, Kol set the bag in question on the countertop with an unsettling rattle. "Bekah asked me to help with some of her list items, and she said I wasn't allowed to just pick clean the corpse of my breakfast - even though I thought it was a perfectly rational way to reduce, reuse, and recycle like you're always making us do - so I stopped by the local morgue. This fellow had no one to collect his remains, so I figured we could give him a home. I've named him Yorick."

Klaus frowned. "You loathe Shakespeare."

Caroline poked his side. "Not the point!"

"I loathed the dreadful poetry Shakespeare inspires you to write," Kol clarified, "but I adore the man's dick jokes." He patted the bag of bones with something like camaraderie. "Yorick gets it."

As much as she wanted to disinfect the counter, Caroline couldn't help but whip her head around to Klaus. "You've never written poetry for me."

Kol snorted, "Count yourself lucky."

"Who says I haven't?" Ears flushing pink, Klaus sighed. "Let's go out for breakfast," he said, glaring at Kol who was bowled over laughing. "Yorick will be gone by the time we get back."

Allowing him to lead her out of the kitchen, Caroline turned back to Kol with a stern wag of her finger. "And give him a good burial, someplace nice!"

Left alone with the jumbled skeleton, Kol gave a mournful pout. "Unhappy Halloween for you, Yorick. But you should have a nap in Bekah's bed, I think. She'll be so surprised to see you." With a mischievous grin, he whistled as he carried the bag upstairs to her bedroom.


	9. Which Witch?

**Caroline keeps floating costume ideas only for Bonnie to shoot them down. Klaus isn't helpful. (For** Klaroween **Bingo: Witch Costume Meets Real Witch)**

* * *

"Glinda and Elphaba!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes at the suggestion, one of several Caroline had peppered her with all day. All she wanted was one girls' weekend, and she'd spent most of it turning down the odd costume brainstorm. "No."

"Come on," Caroline sighed. "I'll even let you choose which one you want to be."

"Oh, please. I'm not letting you paint me green."

Clapping, Caroline looked far too triumphant. "Then you can paint me!" When Bonnie didn't look up from her magazine, though, she pouted. "Fine, what about the Sanderson sisters from _Hocus Pocus_? We spend the whole party taking pics with other witches pretending to be the third one."

"No."

Her mouth screwed up in thought. "The witches in _American Horror Story_ would be easy enough, we'd just have to wear black."

Eyes narrowed, Bonnie finally turned to face her with suspicion. "Why do all your ideas for Marcel's Halloween party involve witches?"

"Because I want an edge for the contest I'm going to make Marcel host, and you're a witch! It's a perfect combination," Caroline explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Some tricks, a little mischief, and a whole lot of fun. You know you want to," she sang.

Taking a long swig of her vodka lemonade, Bonnie shrugged. "I feel like we've outgrown the couple's costume thing. Maybe you should, I don't know, make your actual boyfriend do it with you?"

Caroline scoffed, raising her voice for Klaus to hear it from upstairs - he wasn't good at leaving her alone for girls' weekends. "He's disinvited for failure to participate!"

Though she couldn't help an amused chuckle, Bonnie shook her head. "Like Klaus is going to let you go alone."

"No," she admitted, "but he won't wear a costume, so he's not going to be my date. Ooh, Maleficent and Ursula?"

"It's not like I'm the only witch in town," Bonnie pointed out. "And stop using body paint as a selling point, it's not working for you."

Shifting over on the couch where they'd sprawled for a movie marathon, Caroline leaned her head on Bonnie's shoulder. "Come on, it'll be like old times. We'll get dressed up, dance, flirt with cute people. It's your first Halloween in NOLA, and it's going to be awesome."

Klaus suddenly appeared behind them, surely taking ten years off Bonnie's life when she noticed him standing there. "What the-"

But he paid her no attention, instead pulled Caroline's face up toward him for a deep, indulgent kiss. Bonnie felt annoyingly single the longer it went on, and she had to rein in the urge to throw popcorn at them for being rude. Before she nearly gave in to that urge, Klaus pulled back to brush his nose against Caroline's. "Feel free to flirt with me all night, my love. I'd hate to get another suitor's blood on whatever outfit you finally choose."

"Dorks," Bonnie groaned, chewing the popcorn she still really wanted to throw.

"I'll take it under advisement," Caroline decided, pressing another soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and pushing him away. "Now go, you know better than to interrupt girls' night."

Sighing, Klaus turned a long-suffering expression toward Bonnie. "She won't give up, love, as I'm sure you're well aware," he warned. "Just choose a costume and be done with it, I'll distract her as soon as possible if you want to avoid her at the party."

"Hey!" Caroline's offended shout hung in the air for a moment too long, for he had already flashed back up the studio when it ended. "Well, he's not wrong. He's really good at distracting me."

"You don't say," Bonnie teased, happy that her friend looked so happy. "I guess wearing a little black dress wouldn't be so bad, but I don't want to have to explain it to people all night."

Caroline shrugged. "That's when you pull out the witchy tricks. If they don't get it by then, they can't sit with us."

Snorting, Bonnie ate some more popcorn. "Okay, Regina George. Hit me with the rest of your list I'm just now realizing you are working from."

With an excited gleam in her eyes, Caroline pulled out her phone and the list that indeed existed. "You've already turned down Hogwarts, _Bewitched_ , and _The Craft_... Wait!" Her eyebrows rose with too much glee as she bit her lip. "I have the perfect costume."

A growing pinch of concern gnawed at the back of her neck. "What is it?"

"You're going to love it, you adore nineties fashion."

"It was a prison world!" Bonnie defended. "See if I ever tell you anything ever again, Caroline Forbes. What else was I supposed to wear?"

"And I'm sure you rocked it," Caroline answered, completely unconcerned. "Just like you'll rock Sabrina Spellman, that glamorous teenage witch of our childhood."

"I-" Licking her lips, Bonnie realized she didn't hate the idea. "I might have some outfits to make that work. But who are you going to be?"

Caroline wiggled happily, already starting a new list on her phone. "Duh, every Sabrina needs a Salem. A black cat costume will be easy enough."

"Sex kitten, really?" Bonnie burst into giggles when they heard something crash upstairs. "You're evil."

"What can I say? Salem is the role I was born to play."

Klaus's voice floated from his studio. "You do know I'm a wolf, right?"

The girls burst into more giggles, lemonade sloshing from cups as they struggled to get a hold of themselves. Girls' nights were the best, even when Klaus crashed.


	10. Super Sweet

**Shopping for candy - well, anything - is more difficult with Mikaelsons getting involved. (For Klaroween Bingo: Candy)**

* * *

"Candy? This was the big secret, candy?"

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut in annoyance at Rebekah's sneering voice. She put a lot of work into ducking out of the house and sneaking off to a bulk grocer, but of course, she couldn't do anything without one of the Mikaelsons catching onto the game.

"There are so many varieties," Kol added gleefully, and Caroline could feel a migraine twinge in her forehead.

Make that _two_ Mikaelsons.

Sighing, she pushed her cart to serve as a meager barrier between her and the uninvited stalkers. "We need candy at the house in case we have trick-or-treaters stop by," she explained, her voice weary. Moving to New Orleans had been an easy decision to make once her mother died, nothing left to tie her to Mystic Falls other than sad and bitter memories. Klaus was an adventure in and of himself, and she enjoyed the game between them. Ever enticing, beguiling - sometimes irritating, she could admit - it took him a year to finally convince her to stay with him in the compound rather than going home to her lonely apartment at the end of the night.

Had she realized the terror roommates his siblings were, she might have made him work harder.

Although, it wasn't like she was entirely unfamiliar with the pain that was Rebekah Mikaelson. Petty high school fights aside, the Original Barbie vamp made it very clear how impressed she was at Caroline's arrival - not very. "And here I thought you had potential to develop taste since I last saw you," she had said, not bothering with a greeting, polite or otherwise. The bar was busy when they caught each other's eye, Klaus murmuring into Caroline's ear when his sister directed her comments toward them from clear across the room. "Clothes or men," she had clucked her tongue, "and your choices are still dreadful." It was a rocky road to peaceful cohabitation, to say the least.

Kol was a stronger pill to take; the constant pranks, maniacal threats, it all took getting used to. He also had a weird habit of leaving things sticky - blood, jam, spilled drinks, he was a mess - that often left Caroline tracking his progress through the house with a wet rag. A thousand years old, give or take a few daggerings, and Kol had no concept of being cleanly. The idea of him and candy? Caroline made a mental note to keep an eye out for discarded wrappers and chocolate crumbs.

"But no one comes to the house," Rebekah pouted. Her nose scrunched as Caroline placed a selection of sour gummies into the cart, obstinately picking out some caramel hard candies for herself. "Klaus and Elijah would never allow it."

Caroline shrugged, knowing she wasn't wrong. "I might have arranged for Klaus to send Elijah on an errand overseas," she admitted. "Not the most ingenious plan, but it worked and now he won't be around to put a wet blanket on the holiday." Because he totally would - Caroline was convinced Elijah did not know how to have fun unless there was a pretty, doe-eyed girl involved. Of all the Mikaelsons and their less attractive qualities, Elijah's fastidious and self-righteous nature was definitely high on her list of drawbacks. She was the one most likely to actually care enough to wash her own dishes, and he still looked down his nose at her for laughing too loud over a late-night bottle of wine. Trick-or-treat indulgence would just be another childish aspect of her personality that could not be borne in their home of mature, sophisticated vampires. And they lived with Kol!

At least Klaus made the whole 'living together' deal worth it, though it usually came down to him obliging her whims. "I did agree to some guards on the grounds in case some enemies try to take advantage of my generosity," she explained, even as Rebekah pretended not to listen, "but Klaus has promised to be nice to the kids should he happen to make eye contact." He'd outright refused to dress in costume or help her hand out candy, but she would take the little victories where she could. Rebekah gave a knowing look like she heard her too cheery inner dialogue, and Caroline smiled. "Baby steps."

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah turned back to the shelves and the several options for M&Ms. "This is just ridiculous," she said, weighing peanut against the pretzel version. "I don't even fear the calories, and this would still be too much."

"That's the point," Caroline replied, almost sad. She felt at a loss for how little they all understood the human experience after so long living alongside it. "Yes, it's a commercial ploy to sell candy, but Halloween is a chance to go a little nuts." Plucking the peanut M&Ms from Rebekah's hand to prove her point, she dropped them into the cart. "People can loosen up the daily rules and have a bit of ridiculous fun." She frowned down at the cart, deciding instead to put the package back on the shelf. Rebekah rose a curious eyebrow. "A common allergen, I don't want to send some kid to the hospital with a reaction from cross-contamination."

Rebekah shook her head, only for them both to be startled by a bag dropping behind them. They turned to find Kol carrying a whole armful of candy, leaving a perfectly clean shelf just down the row. "You're going to need another cart, darling."

Unable to help a laugh, Caroline shook her head before snapping a quick picture before he dropped it all into her shopping cart. She sent it to Klaus, knowing he probably wouldn't be as amused. "For the record," she texted, "I did not invite him, but I like his style."

"Hold onto that feeling, love," he typed back, "Kol will almost surely make you regret it."

Nodding, she kind of agreed. "You're lucky I love you, crazy siblings and all."

Her phone buzzed with a call, and she slipped over to the next aisle before answering. "They can hear you, you know."

"I love you, too," Klaus said, the words warming her from the inside out. "Now come home before they notice you're gone, we'll have the house to ourselves."

She flashed away without a second thought. Who needed candy when her big, bad boyfriend could be just as sweet?


	11. Harmless Fun

**Klaus sits back to watch the festivities but doesn't care to participate until a friend pops in. (For Klaroween Bingo: Halloween)**

* * *

Klaus roved a keen eye throughout the Abbatoir, always vigilant for the occasional attempted murder or an opportune snack. With the Halloween festivities well underway, the club was packed with scantily clad witches - both real and emulated. Taking a bite from even the most liberal of covens would have annoying consequences, so he remained in his booth with an excellent vantage point while nursing a scotch.

"You know, I thought our truce would help you relax a little," Marcel teased, sliding into the seat across from him. A waitress hurried over with fresh drinks for them both, likely devoted to their service for the night. Klaus did so like being king, even if it meant sharing some influence with his once son. "This is a party, after all."

Smirking, Klaus raised his glass in a toast. "Who says I'm not relaxed?"

Marcel nodded toward the dance floor in amusement. "The pretty ladies on the dance floor, to start," he answered. "And your back is literally to the wall, even among friends."

"A thousand years of surviving, Marcel. Good habits are hard to break." Oddly enough, he did relax at the feel of stone at his back. "And these are your friends, as you well know. We might have achieved a peace of our own - that doesn't mean they accept the terms or that I accept them."

"Touché," Marcel acknowledged, "but I think I did meet a friend of yours down by the bar. A pretty one, too."

Klaus frowned, looking toward the crowd surrounding the bar. There were too many to pick out much in the way of obviously identifying features. "I'm not sure who you mean," he admitted, distinctly uncomfortable to be at a disadvantage. "I haven't kept much company lately. Not the sort I care to remember, anyway."

"Charming, but you should really save the romance for Valentine's Day."

His eyes narrowed at the new, yet familiar voice. Peering just over the edge of the balcony, he saw her looking up at him with eyes narrowed and arms crossed. Klaus always did enjoy riling her up. "Hello, Caroline." Without a second thought, he abandoned Marcel to the booth in favor of jumping down to where she stood. She didn't even flinch at the sudden move, and his smile deepened the dimples in his cheeks. "Welcome to my city, love. To what do I owe this immense pleasure?"

Caroline's gaze swept down his form, pouting. "You're not wearing a costume. It's Halloween," she added when he seemed confused by her first reply. "Seriously, for someone so intent to sell me on visiting a party capital, you're really phoning it in on the participation."

"If this is your version of participation," he flirted, tugging at one of her pigtails as he took in the blue gingham dress she wore right down to the ruby slipped, "then surely you know why I choose to be myself. Nothing simulates horror quite like the Original hybrid."

Rolling her eyes, she pursed her lips in annoyance. "Been there, done that, moved onto the next big bad," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But I was tired of the Elena-Salvatore drama and wanted a carefree holiday."

He couldn't help but to pinch his mouth in confusion, hating to even question his good luck. "So you came here?"

Caroline laughed, instantly assuaging his fear that she might disappear in a moment. "Well, a friend once promised to show me around. Art, music, a culture he preferred over the small town where we met."

"A friend." Klaus turned an aggrieved glare on Marcel, who watched them with interest from the balcony above. "It's been a long time since I've heard that word in association with you." He set a blinding smile onto Caroline, winking. "You wouldn't happen to be from Mystic Falls, would you?"

Shrinking in on herself a bit, her expressive face fell into suspicion; Klaus always did appreciate her sense of self-preservation. "That's an odd assumption to make."

Marcel shrugged. "Not if you'd seen this man's face when he came back from Virginia a few years back," he replied, watching both their reactions carefully. Her eyebrows raised as she turned to Klaus, who just stared back with the hint of a restrained smile. "It reminds me of how he looks at you."

"Thank you, Marcel," Klaus bit out, mentally planning how he might get Caroline out safely if he were to kill the man outright among his still loyal followers.

But Caroline slipped a hand into his, pulling him toward the dance floor. "I totally see your murder face coming out," she teased. "I'd hate to get blood on my costume, so let's dance instead." Klaus's eyes drifted to their joined hands, wondering at the ease with which she distracted him. Glancing back, he didn't like that Marcel noted it as well. "Don't worry, you can defend your tough image when I'm gone."

He tugged her backward, twirling her once before settling his hands on her hips as she smiled up at him. "You just got here," he pointed out. "It would be a shame to waste the trip to visit only one day."

"I don't know," she sang, swaying to the slow beat of the music, her hand trailing up his arm to rest against the nape of his neck. "I came here to escape drama, and Marcel looks like a whole lot of drama."

Brow furrowing, Klaus knew his eyes must have flashed gold from the satisfied gleam in her own. "You didn't come here to see Marcel."

She shook her head. "I just wanted some harmless Halloween fun." Her pinky finger slid into the mess of necklaces he wore, stroking the sensitive skin just under his collar. "Care to help a friend out?"

Klaus flashed them from the club as she laughed and clutched his neck, sparing Marcel and his ilk not another glance. They were a problem that could wait until Caroline left - not that he intended for that to happen anytime soon. Or if it did, perhaps he could push to make her little trip a tradition, to be repeated year after year until she decided to see what New Orleans was like in the spring.

Mystic Falls never lacked for drama for her to flee, after all, and Klaus wasn't above tempting her back at every opportunity. A happy Halloween seemed almost certain with Caroline in town.


	12. Smell My Feet

**Kol is the worst, especially when Klaus realizes his mildly embarrassing dare sends him to Caroline's door on Halloween. (For** **Klaroween Bingo: Pretending to be a Socially Acceptable Age to Trick or Treat)**

* * *

"Trick or treat, smell my—Oh." Klaus's bored voice quickly turned into an embarrassed groan as Caroline pressed her lips together, holding back a smile. He checked the number on the house once more, and his cheeks flushed red. "Of course, Kol sent me here."

Caroline looked down to his empty hands, which he quickly stuffed into his pockets. "I don't see your bag, little boy. Don't you want some Halloween candy?"

Rolling his eyes, Klaus resigned himself to bearing the humiliation as she held out a bowl full of Skittles and Starbursts. "No, thank you. I lost a bet," he said in meager explanation. "Four houses in, and you're the first one not to yell at me for being too old to trick or treat. Or for being rude, as the rhyme is part of the punishment."

"That's what you get for betting against Kol," Caroline shrugged. "He plays dirty. Just this week during P.E., he pulled my hair to keep me from stealing second base in kickball."

"Wanker," Klaus muttered.

Caroline snorted a laugh before opening the door just a bit wider. "Do you want to come in? Mom's busy working to prevent mischief, so I'm left watching scary movies and handing out candy to actual children. I could use the company."

His mouth felt dry with both surprise and nerves, but Klaus wasn't about to let the opportunity pass.

Freshly widowed with money to burn, his mother had picked up house and bought the mansion just outside of Mystic Falls. In his junior year and suddenly free from Mikael's paternal control, Klaus hadn't looked forward to the diminished opportunities of Small Town, Nowhere, USA. Three months of his new home — between the tight-knit community niceties and catty gossip about "those Brits" — was enough to start planning for college in earnest.

Then, he met Caroline Forbes.

It had happened on a visit to Whitmore, the nearby university Klaus had no intention of attending, but their art program was passable and offered classes that would help build his portfolio for a better school. He bumped into Caroline outside the Fine Arts building, quite literally as her coffee exploded on the sidewalk below.

He'd met her before, sure, in her role as self-appointed Welcome Wagon for new students who had the potential to be somewhat cool or dangerous to her reign — her own words, proudly stated. In that first, overarticulated speech about the social hierarchy of Mystic Falls High, Klaus had written her off as pretty and vapid. Shallow was fun for a fling, but she was fawning over some football player boyfriend at the time and didn't much care for his opinion.

At Whitmore, though, Klaus got to see a Caroline without the same 'ice queen' veneer. He offered to buy her a replacement coffee, and they ended up whiling away an hour at a campus cafe. She had explained she was taking a dual-credit math course to get a jump on pre-requisites for whatever college she chose. "Math is not my friend, and it would totally wreck my GPA my freshman year," she said, an odd self-deprecation in her voice he didn't expect to hear. "So, I'm getting it out of the way."

Since then, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her — around school, around town, at the football games he ostensibly attends as Rebekah's chauffeur and nothing more. And, apparently, on Halloween. "Sure," he answered, a beat too late if her amused grin is any sign.

"Make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing to the couch. "I just started _The Shining._ "

His eyebrows raised, impressed. "Good movie."

Caroline scoffed as she settled in next to him, reaching for the popcorn set on the coffee table. "Okay, snob, it's just because it popped up on Netflix. And here I thought it was just the accent that makes you seem snooty."

Shaking his head, he did accept the offer of popcorn as he took a handful. "You've met Bekah, she's the real princess of the family. The accent is just incidental for the rest of us."

"That makes sense. So," she said, eyeing him from the side, "what bet did you lose?"

"Uh…" Klaus stalled, not really wanting to answer considering she had been the subject of said bet. Kol was the one to break the news over dinner: Jeremy Gilbert had been seen at the Falls kissing Tyler Lockwood, that football player Caroline was once so crazy about.

"You like her. Now is your chance while she's on the rebound," Kol had baldly stated, in front of their mother and their younger siblings. "I heard her costume for Lockwood's party is on the scandalous side, and I'll bet you anything she's raring for a hot date."

Klaus didn't need the incentive to ask her out, his growing crush painfully obvious, but he didn't want to be a rebound. Not for her. When he shut Kol down, though, the reprieve didn't last for long. All week, Kol pestered him to make a move, finally sweetening the deal to take over driving duties for Bekah and Henrik.

At worst, he'd make a half-hearted ask to Caroline and go about his day when she was obviously not in the market for a new boy to break her heart. Not much harm, very little foul - until Kol clucked his tongue. "And if you chicken out," he taunted with steepled fingers, "then you have to go trick-or-treating."

"Okay," Klaus had shrugged, knowing he would get roped into walking with Henrik anyway.

"On a street of my choosing."

 _That_ was when he grew suspicious.

"And only use naughty children's rhymes."

"Kol!"

Klaus pinched his nose, graciously ignoring Caroline's shaking laughter next to him. "And now I'm here," he said, his hand lifting in a helpless gesture.

When her giggles subsided, she stared at him for a long moment with a heavy thoughtfulness. "Why didn't you just ask me out, then? Save yourself the trouble, maybe give me an ego boost I could have used the last few weeks," she trailed off. Her face seemed closed off to him, and Klaus didn't know what to make of it.

Looking down to his knees, Klaus searched for the words. "It didn't feel right, inviting you to your ex's party. A part of you must believe that if you're sticking around here tonight," he pointed out, glancing up from under his eyelashes.

"Like, I kind of get where Tyler's coming from, with my dad and everything..." She stuck out her neck, attempting a tone of polite understanding. Klaus's eyes snagged on a photo of her on the mantel, an older man holding an arm around her shoulders. The story was old news by the time his family moved to town, but whispers still circulated on occasion. A man leaving his family for another man had apparently rocked Mystic Falls once upon a time - only for his daughter to be abandoned again. "But he could have talked to me first instead of cheating on me. It just sucked, and I really didn't want to go to the party I planned for him to host it with someone else. You know?"

Klaus nodded as he reached for more popcorn. "For what it's worth, I happen to like the movie better than a party."

Her mood lifted immediately, and she tossed a few kernels in his face. "Okay, weirdo." Caroline turned back to the face the TV, her arm distractingly warm against his. "But for what it's worth," she said, his words sounding so much better in her voice, "I happen to like that you're here with me."

A grin spread on his face as he tried and failed to focus on the film. Kol might have won the bet, but he was feeling pretty triumphant himself.

"You are going to ask me out eventually, though, right?"

His mouth fell slack as his head whipped to face her and her own winning smile. She seemed to expect an answer, to which Klaus could only nod. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before he managed to find his words, Caroline leaned back into him to watch the movie. Tentatively, his arm settled around her as they turned quiet.

Maybe he owed Kol an even greater debt than a silly rhyme, after all.


	13. Slasher

**There's a killer on the loose, and Caroline really needs better friends. (For Klaroween Bingo: "Let's walk through the graveyard at midnight, she said, what could go wrong, she said.")**

* * *

"Thanks for driving me home, 'Lena," Caroline said, letting herself into the house. "It's a literal lifesaver since the mechanic won't let me pick up my car until daylight tomorrow. Stupid town curfew. Do you have plans for tonight? My mom has been super strict about the curfew, too, so she's been stocking up on food to keep me here. We can have a movie marathon…"

Checking her phone, Elena shrugged. "Sure, Stefan told me he and Damon got caught up in something and didn't want me to hang out tonight."

A little miffed at being a consolation prize, Caroline faked a smile. "Great! What do you want to watch?"

They bickered over options while they gathered chips and sweets, eventually settling on the couch to watch a _Harry Potter_ marathon. Only an hour in, though, a news alert took over the screen. The anchorman's face looked grim.

"The serial slasher has once again struck Mystic Falls."

Caroline's gaze felt frozen on the TV, blindly reaching for the remote to turn up the volume as they cut to a field reporter.

"Another body was found in Mystic Falls tonight," the reporter said, her hair whipping in the wind. "Though still unidentified, the woman's remains were discovered by a pair of boys on the grounds of the old Fell's Church just north of town. Police refused to name the young men as they are minors, but Sheriff Forbes did disclose they were attempting to stage a Halloween prank in the abandoned ruins when they found the victim. Multiple sources believe this to be the work of the same killer that took the lives of Vicki Donovan, Sheila Bennett, and KVGN's own Andie Starr. It has been a week since authorities established a town curfew to protect the public, and when contacted for comment, Mayor Lockwood encouraged all residents to take extra safety precautions."

"Oh my god," Elena whispered. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she pressed a hand to her mouth in horror. She looked over to Caroline. "I don't think we should stay here by ourselves."

Frowning, Caroline couldn't look away from her mother's face as the reporter interviewed her. "Where else would we go? The house is locked up and we have guns. My mom will come home as soon as she can. We're as safe as we could be with a crazy murderer on the loose."

But Elena shook her head, frantic. "I want to go to Stefan's."

"That's clear across town!"

Elena shrugged, already reaching for her discarded purse to rifle for her keys. "I don't care, the boarding house is-"

Caroline raised her fingers point by point. "Creepy, isolated, a bajillion years old with who knows how many secret entrances for killers to get in," she listed. "Oh! And Damon is the worst, so no."

With an offended sniff, Elena stood anyway. For reasons Caroline didn't want to examine too closely, her friend always had a peculiar soft spot for Stefan's older brother. Having grown out of an ill-conceived crush over him herself, she was happy to recite his worst qualities on demand, but they'd long since stopped working on Elena. All the bad vibes he gave off did nothing to harden the girl's all too open heart against him. "I'm worried about them."

Her eyes rolled so hard Caroline thought she might have finally damaged them permanently. Seriously, Stefan had to be blind to miss the signs - and deaf, because Caroline had definitely pointed them out on several occasions. Still, she shoved herself off the couch to race Elena toward the front door. "You can't go by yourself."

"Then let's go." Elena plowed past her, pointing her key fob at the car sitting outside, only to frown when nothing happened. Caroline tried to keep her in the house, but she just kept walking. "The locks aren't working," she said, annoyed when Caroline seemed hesitant to follow.

Caroline gave a half-hearted shrug. "Maybe it's a sign we should stay here."

Sending a snotty look over the car, Elena manually unlocked her door. "Or maybe it's a sign I need a new battery for the keys. I'm going. Are you coming with me or not?"

Torn, Caroline glanced behind her and wondered if Elena would wait for her to grab one of the pistols from the safe. Her mom hadn't taken her to the range for nothing, and she had a really bad feeling in her gut. "Give me a sec-"

"Now, Caroline!" Elena snapped as she lowered herself into the driver's seat.

Caroline groaned, only taking the time to lock the door before running to the car, glad to at least have her phone with her. Elena reached across to unlock the passenger side so she could clamber inside, quickly locking it back. Annoyed and on edge, her bad feeling had only grown worse since leaving the house. "What are you waiting for? Start the car!"

As she turned the key in the ignition, over and over, Elena's breath started coming in shorter pants. "It's not working. Something's wrong."

Her gut twisted, and Caroline felt a spike of adrenaline as she forced herself out of the car. "We're going back inside."

"No!" Once Elena made it back onto solid ground, she started walking in the opposite direction from the house. "I need to make sure they're okay, even it means I have to run there myself."

"Hello, call them like a normal person!"

But Elena refused to listen and kept going. For a long moment, Caroline considered letting her go. At best, she would just be a nervous wreck until she heard from Elena or Stefan that she made it safely to the boarding house. At worst, her friend would be caught and killed by the serial- "I'm coming with you," she bit out as she chased her down the road. "I swear, if you get me murdered, I'm going to haunt you."

And so they traipsed around the ring of town, avoiding patrol cars and jumping at every noise. Caroline muttered at every decision Elena made along the way, her hair standing on end out of nerves when they crossed underneath the wrought-iron gate of the cemetery. "Let's walk through the graveyard at midnight, she said. What could go wrong, she said. You're nuts, you know that?"

"You're paranoid," Elena countered as they picked their way around headstones and crumbling memorials. "It's peaceful here."

"Yep, such a peaceful place to die." Leaves rustled, and Caroline's head whipped toward the sound. "Did you hear that?"

With a helpless shrug, Elena pushed on. "We're almost there, just-"

A twig snapped behind them. Barely holding back a shriek, Caroline shoved them both into a nearby crypt to hide in the shadows. Sure enough, footsteps weren't far behind. Slowly bending down, she picked up a hefty rock and waited. When the gravel crunched around the corner of the crypt, she raised her arm and jumped out - though a hand firmly took hold of her wrist before she could bring the rock down on the stranger's head.

"Caroline!"

Oh, not a stranger. "Klaus?!" Caroline clenched the rock, not quite willing to drop the handy weapon despite the familiar, incredulous face of her ex-boyfriend. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Klaus looked up to the see her tight fist, brow furrowing. "The dog ran away, I promised Henrik I'd find him." Glancing over to Elena, his expression hardened. It seemed he hadn't quite forgiven that it was her interference that led to Caroline breaking up with him. "What are you all doing here?"

Elena scoffed and continued walking. "That's none of your business. Come on, Caroline."

But Caroline hesitated, her hand lowering until she could safely drop the rock. "I'm sorry about Wolf. Still, there's some crazy killer on the loose. You shouldn't be out here."

"I could say the same for you, sweetheart. Let me guess, this begins and ends with Elena?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline turned and headed after her friend. "Shut up," she spat as she stormed away.

So what if she cared what her friends thought? If she didn't give weight to their opinions, then she had no business calling them friends. When Elena pointed out that Caroline was spending a lot more time with Klaus, then, that she was considering changing her college plans after a decade of it being written in stone, she took the warning to heart. She didn't want to lose herself for some boy - if only it didn't mean losing Klaus instead. There was a deep longing that she fought down as she went about her life, ignoring his attempts to talk to her at every chance.

"No, I'm tired of shutting up," Klaus groaned, his heavy steps falling behind her as he followed. "Caroline, please. At least let me say my piece."

"What?" she asked, though she didn't break stride.

Sighing, Klaus seemed intent on keeping pace with her. "I don't know why you let Elena come between us, and I'm not sure I'm prepared to hear the exact words said against me. What I do know is that some part of you must have agreed, because the Caroline I l-" He cut himself off, and Caroline's breath caught at what he might have said. "Well, you're far too stubborn to let anyone tell you what to do."

The vicious retort she'd been keeping on the tip of her tongue died at the hint of reverence in his tone. She did always love how much he seemed to see her when others failed.

"Is that why you're defying your mother's curfew?" he continued, none the wiser as to her sudden doubts. "Hardly a smart decision, love."

"Shut up," she said again as she threw an elbow into his side. "You're out here, too."

Klaus shrugged. "At least Henrik will appreciate that I tried to find Wolf. Can you say the same for Elena?"

"Care!"

They hadn't noticed Elena slipping away from them as they argued through the woods, and Caroline's heart dropped at her pained cry. Almost automatically, her hand reached for Klaus as she ran forward, his fingers lacing tightly in hers as well. Breaking through the tree line, they found Elena sobbing on her knees. Caroline felt sure she'd found another body, perhaps Stefan was strewn across the lawn in a bloody mess. Maybe the killer had found her instead, and it'd be Elena getting carved up with them serving as unfortunate witnesses and next victims.

Caroline felt blindsided, then, when Elena's face appeared etched in shadows as blue and red lights flared too bright in the darkness, bouncing off the bricks of the Salvatore boarding house.

Police cars swarmed the driveway, their lights flashing. Deputies that were like a second family to her looked too grim, some disgusted. Caroline stared open-mouthed as her mother led Damon through the front door with his hands cuffed behind his back, her stony face damning when she tucked him into her car.

Liz caught her eye over the roof and called out to one of her officers before coming their way. "You're supposed to be at home," she told Caroline sternly, her brow furrowing as she looked down to where Klaus was still holding her hand.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, her voice frantic and choked by tears. "I don't- Where-"

With a deep and regretful sigh, Liz knelt down to meet Elena at eye level. "Stefan is okay," she assured. "A little beat up, but nothing an ice pack can't help."

Caroline blinked, wondering at the implications. "Did he do it? Damon?"

"Officially, I'm not at liberty to discuss an open investigation." But Liz pressed her lips together as she stood, reaching up to cradle Caroline's cheek. "I'll have one of my deputies take you all home. We can talk in the morning."

She didn't quite manage to let go of Klaus's hand until they were at his house, and even then, she didn't want to. "If you want some help looking for Wolf tomorrow-"

Klaus ran a tired hand through his hair. "Caroline, you don't have to-"

"I know," she said, silently hoping he wouldn't make her say it. "I'll see you tomorrow."

His lips quirked up in a small grin as he nodded. The deputy drove away before he made it inside, but Caroline looked back to make sure. Elena was still crying on the seat next to her, staring at the window. "Are you okay?"

"No," Elena answered miserably. Caroline pulled her into a hug, happy to remind her that Stefan was fine and life could get back to normal without the murder mystery hanging over the town. "I can't believe they arrested him, he must be so scared."

Cringing, Caroline pulled away in horror. "You can't be serious." If anything, Damon being the slasher made too much sense and she had little doubt he enjoyed every minute of the infamy. "He could have killed your boyfriend tonight!"

"He wouldn't do that." Elena's teary voice had turned fierce. "Stefan confronted him after Vicki died, and Damon didn't kill him then, even when he threatened to go to the police."

Caroline blinked. "Stefan knew? _You knew_?" And to think, she almost followed Elena right into the lion's den. She gulped at how close she might have been to dying; Damon probably didn't mind the others, but his secret wouldn't have been safe with her.

Suddenly, Elena looked scared and ready to cry again. "No, no! That's not what I meant. You can't tell- Caroline, you _can't_ tell anyone!"

Eyes sliding to the deputy that was obviously listening to their every word, Caroline's expression turned incredulous as she stared at Elena's wide eyes. "Seriously?!"

* * *

She cuddled up on the couch, lifting Klaus's arm to make herself more comfortable as they watched the news. "Today, the district attorney announced that only Damon Salvatore would face charges linked to the serial slasher case. As the main suspect for the brutal killings of four women, Salvatore is likely the more prominent target for the state despite both his younger brother and the brother's girlfriend possessing some knowledge of his crimes."

"I can't believe Stefan didn't do anything," Klaus sighed. He once believed the world of his friend.

Caroline pressed a kiss into his shoulder. "I can't believe Elena is actually visiting Damon in jail," she scoffed. "Actually, yeah, I can."

Shrugging, Klaus tightened his hold to kiss her forehead. "At least she's proven her judgment isn't worth holding in high esteem," he pointed out. "Personally, I'm glad you don't listen to her anymore."

"Shut up," Caroline answered with a roll of her eyes - even if she agreed with him, privately.


	14. Oh, Brother

**Caroline's responsible for throwing a kickass Halloween party for her sorority, and she has no qualms roping the Mikaelson boys into helping her out. (For Klaroween Bingo: Costume Contest)**

* * *

"Kol, for the love of all that is holy," Caroline pleaded, pinching the bridge of her nose, "leave the skeleton alone and come help me hang these streamers."

Pouting, Kol reluctantly tossed the life-size, plastic skeleton aside. "You're no fun anymore, darling, not since you've seized power at Ho-mega."

Caroline rolled her eyes and shoved the box of tacks in his chest. "Shut up. If anyone's a ho, it's you." Seriously, she loved her best friend and everything, but if slept with just one more of her sorority sisters, then she was banning him from the house. It was a perk of her sudden presidency, the expanded authority to grant or limit access to the organization's property - and one she expected to enjoy wielding should their partner fraternity decide to escalate the friendly prank war between pledge classes. "And I did not seize power, it was graciously afforded to me according to the sisterhood's bylaws."

"And Lexi dropping out to play groupie and follow some band on tour," Kol snorted. "Lord help the poor Omegas faced with your two-year reign."

Shrugging, Caroline didn't bother arguing the sentiment. She was going to whip the house into shape, that was for sure. "Just get up on the ladder," she ordered. Stepping onto her own step stool, she kept a keen eye for balance as they tacked the streamers to the wall. "An inch higher, please."

With a bored frown, Kol did as asked knowing it was the quickest way to be released from duty. "This is pledge work, Caroline," he whined.

"Like I can trust your pledges. I've already had to hold their hands through every step of cleaning the house this morning," she said, checking the floors for spilled beer or dust bunnies they might have missed. As a fraternity, Alpha Lambda had fewer restrictions against hosting parties; in her mind, though, it was almost worth the infraction fines to be able to host their traditional Halloween party at her own Omega Gamma house. Still, she played along and let the Alphas absorb the risk, even if she barely let them touch the decorations. "Oh, but I will need a couple of your guys to set up the stage."

"Stage?"

She pinned him with a glare, unappreciative of the deliberate misunderstanding. "For the costume contest, which you've promised to help me judge."

Kol grinned, the mischievous and pointy smile that Caroline associated with disciplinary meetings and migraines. "About that, I've been relieved of my duties on that front. I've been superseded by the powers that be."

Caroline's face fell slack. "No."

"A president for a president," he pointed out with a careless lift of his hands. "It's only fair, I suppose, that you two should negotiate the dignity of our fair houses and dole out awards based on merit as opposed to petty grudges."

Pursing her lips, Caroline fought the urge to push Kol off the ladder. "You didn't-"

"And here I thought you liked me, sweetheart." She turned to find Klaus watching her from the doorway, his face shiny with sweat as he smirked. "The stage is set up, by the way."

She sighed when he walked toward her and held out a hand to help her down from the stool. Landing in his arms, she couldn't help but lean up for a kiss from her sweaty boyfriend. "Thank you. But judging the contest was supposed to be a me and Kol thing."

"Because we like to judge people," Kol helpfully supplied. His hand was slapped over his eyes at their cuddly embrace, yet he managed to make his way down the ladder despite Caroline's scared yelp that he might fall. "Fear not, sweet Caroline," he said with an elaborate bow. "I shall play emcee and make my opinions publicly known and adored."

"Hey!" He darted away at her shout, and Klaus's arms tightened around her waist before she could follow. Undeterred, she raised her voice. "We still need people to participate, so save the mean stuff for drinks after!"

Klaus's lips landed on her shoulder with distracting softness. "I thought we could slip away after the contest. I do have a room upstairs."

"You don't want to stay for the rest of the party?" Caroline plumped out her bottom lip as her arms circled his neck. "But my outfit is so cute, and it'll be wasted on your bedroom floor."

"Will it though?"

She shoved at his shoulder, only to laugh when he leaned down to kiss her. "You don't even know what my costume is yet," she pointed out. "You might prefer I keep it on for a while."

"If it's so good, I'm surprised you're not entering the contest yourself," Klaus said with a suspicious grin. "It's not like you to defer from any competition."

Jabbing an elbow into his side, Caroline shook herself free from Klaus's hold. "The only thing I like more than winning-"

"And me."

An indulgent smile pulled at her lips, even as she busied herself with more decorations. "And you," she conceded, "is having all the power in any given situation."

"See? You totally seized power!" Kol yelled from the other room, only appearing with the plastic skeleton held at his side, now wearing a jaunty top hat. "And I really don't need to know so much about your sex life darling. Don't get me wrong, I would enjoy the details immensely if they didn't happen to include my brother, but they do. Unless you've expanded your tastes drastically and in a hopefully entertaining way that I can tease Nik about for the rest of my life?"

"It would be a short one," Klaus warned in a menacing tone.

But Caroline placed a calming hand over his heart, effectively putting herself between the brothers. "No squabbles, not until this place looks perfect."

Kol muttered to himself, something about demanding blondes, as he and his skeleton buddy traipsed back toward the kitchen. Klaus, on the other hand, pulled her back into his arms and hooked his chin over her shoulder. "Do I get a hint about your costume?"

Rubbing his arm lightly, she pecked his cheek. "Nope," she answered with a pop. She went back to work, glancing over her shoulder to send him a heated look. "But I better get a consolation prize after we're done with the contest."

Klaus smirked, even as she pushed a box full of fake cobwebs into his arm. "Anything for you, love."


	15. Priorities

**Some people lose all sense of what's important when the world ends. Caroline wants to make sure they still enjoy the small comforts, while Klaus would prefer she stay inside where it's safe. (For Klaroween Bingo: "Shh, candy now, world-ending problems later")**

* * *

"I should not have let you talk me into this plan, Gorgeous."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shifted the heavy pack to sit more evenly across her shoulders. "To be fair, you invited yourself," she pointed out before snatching the rifle from his hands. "Now, put that away. We won't make it to the wall with you flashing that." Honestly, she would sneak into the outpost if she could manage it, but security protocols were on high alert since the last strangers to arrive brought a flu that claimed lives and precious medical resources.

Post-apocalyptic wastelands weren't much fun after the rations started depleting.

It had all happened so fast, and some days Caroline still struggled to process life as it had become since the end of the world. Barely into her second century, cataclysmic weather events coincided to kill two-thirds of the global population. Oddly enough, it was the vampires who saved what remained of humanity, sprinkled among fortified communities that appeared few and far between. The older set would swear it was only practical to preserve a reliable food source, but she knew there was a tender spot for the fleeting lives they once lived tucked deep, _deep_ inside their hearts.

Except for Kol - he was pretty blunt when it came to his one and only use for humans.

Luckily for them, he was the one who happened to be on duty for the night, more likely to be entertained by their exploits than annoyed. He walked along the ridge of the wall while toying with his own rifle, and Enzo raised a wave as they approached the gate. "Don't shoot, mate! Gorgeous here will probably enjoy punishing you for spilling good blood."

"Mmm, her and me both," Kol teased, his diligent eyes scanning the tree line for any stragglers that might have followed them. "But for once, I don't think it's Caroline I'd be afraid of tonight."

The gate slowly lowered for them to enter the outpost, Enzo looking far too skittish. "Thanks for the adventure, but I think I'll leave the spoils to you," he said as he threw his loaded bags into her arms. He graciously ignored her glower as he clapped a hand on her back. "Don't let him kill me for too long. I've only just convinced Rebekah I'm worth keeping around, I'd hate for her to forget my glittering personality while I rot away somewhere."

"He's not going-" The hair on the back of her neck stood on end with awareness as she felt a presence behind, focused solely on her. Age had only improved her senses, and she could sense the bitter anger radiating from him. "Never mind," she told Enzo, who flashed away without a second thought. It was difficult to maintain an air of offended detachment while juggling two large totes stuffed to bursting, but Caroline felt she managed it when she finally turned to Klaus. "You could help, you know."

He took a moment to answer, the cool flash of gold in his eyes betraying the depth of his rage. "I woke up and you were gone, Caroline."

Shrugging, Caroline brushed past him to make her way toward the abandoned shopping mall they all called home. Leave it to the Original Hybrid to be paranoid enough to prepare for the apocalypse and build a literal bunker in the Midwest. He also had a private island and a safehouse cut deep into a mountain, but the weather issues had made access a problem - if they even still existed. She had been more than a little outraged when he showed up at her door after the first earthquake, barking about taking precautions and moving quickly before more disasters could strike.

Well, she'd actually appreciated the forethought for him to not only make sure she made his list of people to save, but also to collect her personally. What she hadn't liked was his reluctance to letting Enzo tag along with her to safety. It was just the first of many disagreements on their road to sharing one of the refitted apartments in what used to be a department store. Klaus was a controlling, stubborn son of a bitch on his best day - but, damn it, he was hers.

She wasn't feeling particularly warm about that thought as he trailed after her. Their walk through the mall was frustratingly silent, mindful of the late hour as they passed the human quarters. Numbers had remained steady for the most part, but Elijah had made a case to actively recruit from other compounds to fill the empty wing closest to the Original suites. Klaus was resistant while Caroline looked forward to the prospect of an excursion, or any excuse to leave the grounds.

It was becoming a bit of a habit, one that apparently kept Klaus on edge if the slight sheen of relief in his expression meant anything.

By the time she dropped the bags onto their bed, then, Caroline almost felt bad about it. But, to be fair, she had a good reason. "Elijah showed me some maps of the surrounding area, planning for the journey south." Texas was apparently the home of many a doomsday bunker, and he hoped to approach several throughout his trip. "I noticed an old factory not too far from home, so I asked Enzo to investigate with me."

Klaus softened at her mention of home, his hands flexing as though they wanted to reach for her. "It's not safe out there, my love. We don't know who or what survived, and the outpost makes a valuable target for those who might need our resources."

Frowning, she opened the bags, candy flooding out to cover the bed. "If there are rival factions out there scrounging, they missed the best stash of sweets that was just sitting in storage at that factory." He sat in her reading chair with a weary sigh, allowing her a moment to gloat. "Think of what a win this will be for everyone. As silly as it sounds, this candy can help bring a little bit of normal life back to the compound. To me, that's worth whatever dangers might arise. And I've spent five years cooped up in here, Klaus. For someone who once promised me the world, you're pretty stingy with letting me explore it."

"I-"

"Shh," Caroline hushed, her index finger pressed to her lips in admonishment. She plucked a wrapped sweet from the bed and held it toward him as a peace offering. "Candy now, world-ending problems later."

"Sweetheart." His head fell into his hands, knee bouncing with the barely restrained urge to stand. "I don't want to argue with you anymore."

Gasping, she clutched at the shirt over her heart with exaggerated surprise. "You used to love arguing with me."

His fists clenched until his knuckles paled to a bloodless white. "Very funny, Caroline," he bit out, his tone and the use of her name alarming, "but your safety is not a joke. Not to me, not ever."

The fight drained from her in an instant, and her posture slumped in defeat. She dropped the candy, moving instead to slip into his lap and thread her arms around his neck. A hundred more excuses and defenses ran through her mind, but they weren't worth the tight line of tension in his jaw. "I didn't realize this stressed you out so much."

Klaus forced a smile as his hands spread across her waist, one finger stroking the skin beneath her t-shirt without thinking. "You keep leaving the outpost, of course, I'm going to worry. What do you think I'll do if one day, you don't come back?"

"Okay, no need to get dramatic with the implied murder. I get that you're the big, bad wolf who's only playing nice with the humans for my benefit."

His eyes rolled up, probably searching for some deity to grant him patience. "Do you know why I built this place?"

"That's a trick question right?"

A laugh huffed from deep in his chest, and the gaze that finally met hers was warm with affection. "I wanted to make sure my family could survive whatever the ages might bring. Blood meant humans, which meant some form of enduring social fabric. True, it's a bit kinder since you entered my plans, but I have no intention of starving anytime soon."

Caroline hung on his words, confused when he didn't seem to finish the point. "So, you're not going to kill the humans if I leave. And?"

Resting his hand on her neck, Klaus kissed her softly. "It's hard to ensure my family survives if I don't have everyone here."

"Oh," she breathed. Her eyelashes fluttered at the unexpected declaration. "I'm your f-"

"You're mine." Klaus's thumb lightly pressed on her throat, smirking at the hard swallow she didn't bother to hide. "And I worry."

She knew, of course, it was hard to miss the possessive streak a mile wide. But for him to say it, out loud, for her to explicitly hear and understand - it was big. Still, she didn't want to let him guilt into staying put; she liked the adventure that lay beyond, unknown. "Compromise," she finally said, her eyes alight with a new idea. "Come with me next time. You can be my partner in crime, I'll leave Enzo behind. Rebekah gets pissed that I steal him anyway."

His smirk grew. "Was that so hard?"

"Well," Caroline chided, "if you would use your words and tell me why you're upset, then this all could have been avoided. And you would have totally carried more candy. Enzo was a wimp."

Chuckling, Klaus lifted her from his lap and stood. He dropped her near the top of the bed, sweeping most of the candy and the other bags off the covers. "Perhaps we can go back and see what else that factory might have," he said as he laid down with her, lips dragging across her cheek.

Caroline nodded as she pulled him closer, biting his ear when he pressed her into the bed. "Later," she promised eagerly. "Much later."


	16. Spooked

**Kat might have talked her into a Tinder dating spree to get over her breakup, but Caroline didn't expect her rebound effort to be haunted by the ex in question. (For Klaroween Bingo: Speed Dating in Costumes)**

* * *

"Hello, Caroline."

She nearly drops her phone in surprise, glowering as Klaus slides into the booth. "You're not my date," she snaps. Katherine and Elijah are looking far too innocent at the bar, and she spares a glare for them as well. She should have known Kat's plan was far too generous, it had to backfire at some point - that point being when her ex-boyfriend shows up. "What are you doing here?"

His smirk melts into a smile as she crosses her arms in frustration. "I may have overheard my sister-in-law lamenting your single state and conspiring to...alleviate that." Nose scrunched, Caroline hated that even his grimace was cute. "It seemed obvious to throw my hat in the ring."

"I-" She breaks off, sending a confused look to Kat who pointedly turned the other way. "I don't understand."

It makes absolutely no sense to her how earnest he seems just to be sitting across the table from her, not when he was the one to break up with her just a month earlier. To be honest, she only let Kat talk her into a Halloween Tinder date spree to ensure a date for the Christmas party her friend hosted, the one where Elijah's family was all sure to be invited. If Caroline had to be a dumpee, then she would at least do everything she could to move on quickly. Bringing a new guy for her to rub in Klaus's face was an added bonus, though she'd rather avoid the embarrassing reunion altogether.

Hence why she was surprised to find him eagerly counted among her potential suitors. "You're not wearing a costume," she says instead, feeling more confident on themed parties than their failed relationship. The bar had promised no cover charge for anyone in costume, and she (with Kat's help) encouraged her dates to participate. It seemed like a good litmus test for personality at the time. In his usual Henley and jeans, Klaus wasn't making much of a showing.

He shrugged, eyeing the unicorn headband and rainbow tutu she wore. "I still have the one you picked out, but it didn't seem right to wear without you."

"Without me dressing like Vanna, your Pat Sajak does kind of look like just a guy in a suit." At least the gorgeous gown she'd bought wouldn't go to waste; her work parties liked to err on the side of fancy. "And you don't exactly have the right attitude for a game show host."

Klaus looks like he wants to argue the point, but swallows his rebuttal in favor of a wan smile. "That's partly why I came," he admits. His ears flush at her arched eyebrow. "I made a mistake, Caroline, one I hope to rectify."

She waits until he nearly squirms in discomfort at her uncharacteristically long silence. Klaus was so annoyingly at ease at all times, even when he had calmly explained that his idea of the future didn't match up with her expectations of marriage and building a life together, so it was best if they went their own ways before they could reach that breaking point. It felt good to have the upper hand since that horrible lunch, and Caroline decides to wait him out a bit longer before she deigns to answer. "What mistake did you make?"

That flush radiates down to his cheeks, and Caroline feels giddy. Klaus _never_ blushed. "Elijah has no shortage of opinions or brotherly advice," he explains with halting confidence. "Over a drink or six, he pointed out the short-sighted nature of my reasoning behind the decision to-"

"Break my heart? Tell me, 'thanks but no thanks on the whole love thing'? Oh, I know! Pretty much say I'm not worth keeping around."

Klaus winces. "That wasn't my intention, love-"

Bristling, Caroline throws a finger up. "Don't call me that."

"Caroline," he amends in an understanding tone, "it wasn't that I didn't want you. You are beautiful, spirited, and I loved - love - you more than I ever thought possible."

"So, you broke up with me?" Caroline glances back to Kat, this time meeting her friend's imploring gaze with an irritated one of her own. "Klaus, that's ridiculous."

"So Elijah said," Klaus agrees with a downtrodden nod. "But Katherine was prodding me to research engagement rings, and Kol kept making bachelor jokes - I was skittish at the idea, to say the least."

Sighing, Caroline feels her righteous indignation loosen into a deep disappointment. "You could have talked to me about it before you broke...everything."

"I know, I should have." Klaus reaches for her across the table, but they're interrupted before he can grasp her hand.

"Caroline?"

They both turn to see a guy wearing a full-on Joker costume, green hair and all, looking expectantly at her. Caroline blinks, realizing he's expecting a confirmation. "Umm, I-" She's frazzled, unsure what to do; it's hard to think about getting over Klaus when he's right there, offering to fix what went wrong. "I don't-"

"Sorry, mate," Klaus answers instead. "I think there was a Caroline at the next table, but she left."

As the now flustered guy ducks away from the booth, a part of her wants to scold Klaus for dismissing him. "It's rude to cockblock a rebound," she says, testing him.

All too aware, Klaus smirks. "I'd apologize, sweetheart, but we both know I'm not sorry. Did you happen to meet any winners tonight?"

Her shoulders sag. "There was a Mario 'looking for his Princess Peach' and a medical student totally cheating by wearing scrubs. But I bet they wouldn't break up with me because they like me too much to marry me."

"Marriage is-" Klaus bites his lip while he considers the right phrasing to use. "I didn't exactly grow up in a wonderful home with a loving couple. Failing you by becoming...them? It would be worse than the tears you tried to hide over lunch that day. Or, that's what I thought."

Caroline narrows her eyes. "And?"

"I was wrong."

Those traitorous tears fill her eyes again, and she does her best to keep them from falling. "Okay. Thanks, then. For that and ruining my dates."

Klaus did grasp her hands at that point, his thumb tracing the skin like he'd forgotten how it felt. She kind of hoped he did; it'd serve him right. "Please, Caroline. I want another chance."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline discreetly wipes the mascara under one and winces at the rainbow glitter of her eyeshadow that covered her finger. "You didn't ghost me, Klaus, with an ending left unfinished. You broke up with me, in a conversation where you calmly destroyed our relationship and the trust I thought it was built on."

"Take a chance," he says in a low voice. "I won't let you regret it."

She looks around the bar, where people were getting sloppy drunk and costumes started falling askew. Elijah was very sternly holding Kat's attention, and Caroline finally turns back to Klaus who's waiting for his sentence from her. God, those dimples were somehow cuter in his hopeful face. A unicorn could do worse than allow an ex to grovel his way back into her heart. "I have one more date lined up for tonight," she warns, feeling light with a little hope herself. "You have an hour to convince me to turn him away, too."

A smile spreads across Klaus's face, and he threads his fingers through hers. "Consider it done."


End file.
